Tips for Youth Footy / Training

[scratchnsurf]

Hi,

I'm taking on an Under 13's team this year.

Any tips? Coaching / drills / man-management etc

Can we still have Oranges at half time? Do they do this anymore?

What sort of gear should I wear? Training gear range tips? Wanna look good.

Thanks in advance x

Aaah children's football coaching, the stuff of legendary GOT threads.

Which mum have you got your eye on?

 

[DualityNSNO]

Done it for 10 yrs plus
5vs2 possession squares are the basis of all coaching techniques
Every team from under 10 to Barca use them
Start with bigger squares and gradually reduce them
Then move to 6vs 3 etc
At that age all work should be with a ball
Ask the kids to buy their own training ball and you hang on to them
Even fitness training should be done with a ball
Make sure you are never alone , have an assistant to/ parent at every training session
Give a small prize for MOTM and best trainer at every session
Above all make it fun
As was said when they hit 15/16 it’s a nightmare bar they are competing at a high level
Get you basic coaching badges , get advice , get more experienced coaches to do a few sessions
Mix it up , never let it get boring or tedious , have something different every week

Did it for a few years as well, all of this is good advice really.

I'd say fitness training is important to be a good mix though - kids develop a lot during those years and honestly a bit of stamina and quickness exercises in each session (or every other one, you're the coach after all ) do a lot for the team in the long run as well. Again though, you can combine both anyway, just throwing my 2 cents in, like. Defo try to build some team spirit as well, get them to do stuff together outside the pitch that they'd find fun.

And, as people have said, enjoy it!

 

[Billysgingham.]

You will want to assert your alpha status as soon as possible.


Spark the biggest one there and take his boots.

lollollollol

 

[Jags]

Don't let them be afraid of making mistakes, to echo what was said above.

I joined a team of really horrible kids at about 14 and started to hate playing football, scared to make a pass, have a shot or show for the ball because I would have 3 or 4 shouting at me. I wasn't very good to begin with but I basically went from Tim Cahill type attitude to Morgan Schneiderlin within a season.

Once I realised it didn't matter what the "clique" thought and found some sound teammates, I enjoyed my football so much more

 

[Deulofeumygod]

Great thread.

I have been coaching a Years 4 to Years 6 girls' football club at school and been amazing seeing the progression from not being able to kick the ball to actually passing to each other.

Loads of great advice here.

 

[WA Toffee]

Hi,

I'm taking on an Under 13's team this year.

Any tips? Coaching / drills / man-management etc

Can we still have Oranges at half time? Do they do this anymore?

What sort of gear should I wear? Training gear range tips? Wanna look good.

Thanks in advance x

U13s are usually pretty good and easy to coach, my son is moving into u14s this year.
One thing which is always beneficial are small sided games of 3 touch(their first touch is usually not developed well enough to play 2 touch), and it forces that one kid who thinks he is Messi to actually pass the ball.
Oh. and dont take them cave exploring in rainstorms

 

[BillBrasky]

Gonna be coaching 7th-8th grade boys (12-14) in the spring, for the school I teach at. Will definitely be bumping this thread then. Great ideas so far.

 

[Pabbers]

Thinking more about this.

Loads of kids these days are technical and full of skill, but what I find that has been lost is the absolute basics.

Protecting the ball, using arms, and body shape when on the ball and receiveing the ball.

Off the ball work and drills. They may seem boring, but have a look around for simple drills and adapt them.

Talking, they need to talk to each other on the pitch. So many teams are quite.

 

[Seathestars]

One thing I never had playing football as a kid was positional discipline. By that I mean the Manager would just tell us we were playing left back or right back or whatever position it was. Then we’d just go out and play.
All fine and dandy but a bit of positional discipline would have been good.
I mean something like, if the leftback goes forward then someone drops into his position to cover.
Or at corners certain people go forward, usually the bigger kids, but someone drops in to cover at the back.
Give them jobs on the pitch.